Soil was collected five times over a 24-hour period from six adjacent 1m2 plots on the south side of Lake Hoare, beginning at 1030 on 10 December 1997. Plots 1, 4, and 5 were amended with 5\3726 liters nanopure water applied to a 0.5m2 surface area of the soil at the beginning of the experiment.

 

Soil samples were taken for moisture content analysis as follows: Sampling bags were prepared with one sterile 'Whirlpak' bag and clean plastic scoop per sample. Very large rocks (>20 mm diameter) were excluded from the sample. The soil was shoveled into the 'Whirlpak' bag until three quarters full (about 1.5 kg soil). The soil was mixed well in the bag, then the bag was closed tightly, expelling as much air as possible. The soil samples were stored in a cooler for transportation. On return to the laboratory (within 8 hours of sampling), the soils were stored at 4C until further processing.

 

In the laboratory, soil samples were handled in a laminar flow hood to prevent contamination. The Whirlpak bags of soil were mixed thoroughly prior to opening. A sub-sample of approximately 50g was removed and placed in a pre-weighed aluminum soil can, and weighed on a balance accurate to 0.01g. This sample was dried at 105C for 24 hours. The sample was removed, placed in a desiccator to cool down, and re-weighed. These data were used to calculate water content of the soil.